The Black Excellence Brunch, created by Trell Thomas, is a movement dedicated to championing Black trailblazers. At one all-white affair at ESSENCE Festival of Culture 2025, sponsored by L'Oreal, Olympic gold medalist Jordan Chiles received the Cultural Icon Award while actress and producer Crystal Renee Hayslett, former WNBA champion Sheryl Swoopes, billionaire businesswoman Sheila Johnson, and New York Times best-selling author and speaker Luvvie Ajayi Jones were also commended for their contributions to Black culture.

Although gymnastics has been a huge part of her life, Chiles has found success and purpose outside of the gym. She has garnered many other accomplishments as a businesswoman, author, model, and more. At the event, she opened up about extending her brand beyond the realm of her athletic career. Read more below.

Jordan Chiles finds peace and pride after Paris Olympics

During her on-stage interview with Thomas, the athlete talked about her controversial experience of being stripped of her bronze medal in the floor exercise event at the 2024 Olympics. She was happy to say now that her bronze medal controversy was "the biggest blessing in disguise that I've ever had to deal with in my life" before noting how the entire incident became a catalyst for her personal and professional growth.

"I became a New York Times best-selling author... I am a [Sports Illustrated] swimsuit cover nominee. I've been on the AMAs, and I've done all these amazing things," the Oregon native explained. "I'm here at the Black Excellence Brunch and enjoying my time. And I've just been able to really understand that that challenge is something that I don't have to deal with anymore. I can't control it. I can't do anything about it. That's all gone."

Chiles went on to say she's happy to feel like herself again and not carry the burden of the past anymore. In addition, having the chance to be in rooms beyond her wildest dreams and launch business endeavors like her latest "world-class mentorship" program, the SHERO Athlete Collective.

"I mean, God has done amazing things so far. He has put me in spaces that I never thought I was gonna be in. He has done a lot of things that have developed me in different ways," the entrepreneur said. "I've just been able just to be me. And I think that's something that I missed and something that I didn't get to fully cherish after the horrors."

"I'm happy that now, I can say, 'You know what? Bye. See y'all later.’ This is me. I still have it. I am also a nominee for third-place floor medalist. I'm a gold medalist," she added. "I'm all these things."

Chiles admitted that the summer of 2025 was the first time she had taken a moment to acknowledge who she has become by verbally saying she was proud of herself, something she wants to keep as a habit as she continues moving forward.

"To have that ability to even just feel encouraged to be myself and be able to look at everybody and be like, 'You know what? Success is different, and that is okay. You don't have to be like somebody else," she exclaimed.

In an Instagram post, she commemorated the first anniversary of her participation in the 2024 Paris Olympics, accompanied by a lengthy reflection as the caption. "A year ago today, I walked off the floor in Paris with a bronze medal — and lessons I’ll carry with me for life. The hardest moments really do teach you the most," the UCLA undergrad wrote. "This year had its highs, but the lows hit different. Every setback and every disappointment made me dig deeper and showed me what I’m truly made of. It also showed me who’s really in my corner. Even when something’s taken from you- your truth and your worth is... Untouchable."

When Thomas asked about the legacy she hopes to build and leave behind, Chiles explained how she wants her influence to be similar to a certain music icon. "When it's my time to go and God is like, 'You know what? You've done everything that you can,' I want it to be as if I left an imprint on everybody like Whitney Houston," she replied.

Trell Thomas turns brunch into a celebration of Black excellence

For Thomas, the Black Excellence Brunch is more than an event to show gratitude to the women in his family, friend circle, and beyond. The entrepreneur noted that Black women have always played a significant role in his life, and they deserve to be celebrated and doted on.

"Black women feel that they often have to be strong or are often described as strong," Thomas told REVOLT. "Yeah, you can be strong and Black women are strong, but you should also be able to be soft, be given grace and be given love. What I wanted to do with this is create that space for Black women that uplifts them where they're given their flowers."

The executive producer for discovery+ launched his exclusive Black Excellence Brunch in 2017 with the mission of creating a bold platform for the Black community’s leaders, Hollywood talent, forward-thinkers and culture by providing a safe, sacred space for people to be their whole selves while connecting with like-minded doers across different industries. He chose to carry out his dream over a warm meal because of the storytelling and memories he shared at Sunday dinners with his family.

Since its inception, Thomas’ positive movement has grown immensely, and his work has led him to be respected on a national level. He has appeared on TV programs like “The Jennifer Hudson Show,” been featured by news outlets from CNN to Forbes, received recognition from the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc., and was named No. 81 on The Root’s Most Influential African Americans 2024 list. He was even invited to curate a celebration of Black excellence on the White House lawn that former President Joe Biden attended.

Through the Black Excellence Brunch, the creative continues to transform shared meals into a powerful tradition of honoring, uplifting, and uniting the Black community one gathering at a time.